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Clock Worked
Clock Worked is the fourth episode of the Shorts ''season of ''Back in Action: Alien Universe. Story '' <----Please note, this episode takes place between Why Am I Here? and Love Stuck.----> '' open at the site of an ancient city, centuries ago while it was in its prime. Sandstone lines most of the city, creating pathways that substituted roads, with narrower pathways lined with flowers to indicate the sidewalk. A man rides into town on a carriage with his horse. He stops in front of a rather tall, 3-story wooden building. In ancient calligraphy, there are words written on a sign near the one entrance reading "Home of the Stratigos. The man dismounts his carriage, leaving his horse to whinny in front of the building. After the 3-story climb to the top floor of the building, the man finds "the Stratigos", a human in white, gold, and blue robes. He wears a tall hat that ends in a bird with four wings and three legs. The man who ride his horse in steps up to the Stratigos. Man #1: Numquid scis quare veni, Stratigos? Stratigos/Man #2 (sighing): You can cut the act. I know you are not human--that is, anymore... Man: That is not my reasoning for being here, but I'd like to know how you've figured that out. Stratigos: I have my own sources, Cohors. Now, why *are* you here? Cohors/Man #1: Until you tell me how you've deciphered me, I shall not tell. Stratigos (sighing): You're rather persistent, Cohors. I shall tell you, but only to save the pointlessness of a verbal war to come. Cohors/Man: I don't need you to give me a lecture in advanced language, just tell me. Stratigos: Acmen told me. He knows your brother, whom you've alerted of your newfound mutation. You are not of our kind anymore, Cohors. Upon the end of this discussion, I will ask you to kindly leave this town and never return, for you have been banished. Cohors: From my hometown? From where I had grown up? From where I had contributed so much of my life to? I don't think so, Stratigos. Slams his fist on the desk Stratigos is seated before. Now, for why I am here. Cohors removes a large blue orb from his pocket, placing it onto the table. After a short period, the glowing orb begins to hover over the table. Stratigos: What is this trickery? Cohors: It is the work of my modern technological advances, Strat. Imagine what new types of weapons can be mass produced with this. Stratigos: Weapons lead to needless violence and debt that can never be reprieved, ergo, we don't need weapons. Cohors: Alright, then imagines how this can benefit the average worker. With this, you can build things that automatically do our jobs. Stratigos: But then everyone shall be out of a job. Cohors: Precisely, but we will all have more leisure time, and with this, we can also produce more things to do in our leisure time. Stratigos: So...it's power? Cohors: Yes, raw power. Stratigos: Power that can be harnessed quite easily? Cohors: Likely. Stratigos: Hmm... Cohors: It is your choice of whether or not this wonderful town gets to see an even brighter light each day as we advance. Stratigos: I will think about it, Cohors. I will allow you to stay in town until my final decision is made. If anyone feels you are banished and begins to talk down to you for such a reason, simply send them to me, and they shalt be dealt with swiftly. Cohors: Of course, Strat. Stratigos: Have a nice night, my friend. Cohors leaves the room, heading back outside to his carriage with the orb left safely on Stratigos' desk. He rides out to the city limits, where temporary housing is provided to tourists. Without questioning him, the owner of the building gives Cohors a place in the building free of charge. Cohors: Thank you, my good man. Tenant: Of course. For you, the room's free of charge. Cohors walks to his room on the third floor of the building, thinking about what the tenant had said. When he enters his room, he finds the standard needs for living inside: a narrow room within the room featuring a toilet, sink, and mirror, and a sheet-free bed. Cohors shuts the door behind him and lies on the uncomfortable bed. He pulls from behind his back a cube-shaped device. With the press of a button, it unwraps like a present, making each side visible. It then transforms into a shotgun. Cohors tosses it into the corner, and in his day clothes, he falls asleep in the bed. later, Cohors' door is thrown open. He is quick to wake up. He finds Stratigos standing over his bed. Cohors: Strat, what is it you want? After my long journey here, I just wish to get some--'Stratigos, with the wave of his hand before Cohors' face, tosses Cohors through the wooden wall between the main room and the bathroom. Cohors gets up and rushes for his shotgun, but Stratigos holds him back by keeping him suspended flat on the ceiling.' Strat, what did you do? Stratigos (voice echoing, each echo deeper than the last): This energy, Cohors. Where did you get it? I want more... Cohors: You've had enough, Strat. Release the energy back to the orb. Stratigos: You are not in the place to tell me what to do. Now tell me where I can find more. Cohors: That energy is one of a kind, found at the core of my homeworld before it was forced to implode. Stratigos: Such an unbelievable tale. He lowers Cohors to the floor, where he begins to choke Cohors simply with the balling of his fist. Tell me where I can find more, Cohors. Cohors: Strat--Ccck--Stop this, please! Stratigos: You were going to take over this town with this energy, weren't you? Yes, yes, I see now. Well, if you think you're going to just destroy me, think again. I'll just destroy you instead then, problem solved. Now tell me what Acmen has to do with this. Cohors: Let me go and I'll--Ccck--tell you. Stratigos: Then you'll try and blast me with that gun of yours. Without looking in the direction of the shotgun, Strat levitates it over to his unused hand. Upon contact, he releases Cohors, who drops to his knees holding his neck tightly. This...this gun...it's filled with that energy. You were going to hide it from me! How do I harness this... Cohors: You're not going to! He looks up at Stratigos as his eyes begin to glow purple. Cohors leaves his skin and skeleton on the floor as his soul floats through the air into the shotgun. The shotgun begins to transform yet again, taking on a humanoid shape with the glow of the same energy Stratigos had absorbed. I am the protector of this, Strat. Now, relieve yourself of that energy. Your species cannot handle it. Stratigos: You speak fondly of your species, yet you've only learned about them recently. Explain this. Cohors: I've always known about my heritage. I just never wanted to tell you. Stratigos: An extraterrestrial living under my nose...He blasts Cohors, whose ghostly form spreads across the room. Haha, defeated so easil-- Cohors' body reforms behind Stratigos. Cohors: If you will not simply give up the energy, I will have to remove it entirely. His hand begins to glow. Stratigos attempts to blast through Cohors' body in an attempt to dismember his ghostly form, but the form hastily regenerates. view is moved to beyond the city limits of the town, which is revealed to be on its own island, connected to an adjacent one by a bridge. We pan to the sign at the entrance, which translated from the ancient calligraphy it is written in reads "Ragg Town." The entire island is covered by a glow that grows from the temporary housing building. In moments, the entire island is gone. are brought to the present where Ben finds himself battling Eon at the island adjacent Ragg Town. At first it is mere hand-to-hand fighting in both of their human forms, but soon Ben ups his ante by transforming into Anos, who creates a mana force field before him. With the force field in place, Anos is able to open holes on it to blast Eon just when he least expects it. Eon: Tennyson, I'm done with this toying! Give me Clockwork! Anos: Which Clockwork? Eon: AARGH! Is everything a joke to you? Anos: What? No, there are two Clockworks I know--a Chronosapien in my watch, and the Timekeeper. Eon: A Timekeeper? Elaborate. Anos: I'd love to do that for you, but (blasts Eon smack in the face with a mana ball) I'm too busy beating up this easiest bad guy in crosstime. Eon: You take that back, Tennyson. Anos: Face it, even Animo's more difficult to fight than you. Eon: Animo...His existence in nearly every version of crosstime never ceases to amaze. Anos: Here I was thinking Ben 10 and I were the only ones who were so unfortunate. Eon: Ben...10? "And I"? You are not Ben Tennyson? Anos: I am, but I'm not Ben 10; I'm an alternate version of him, I'm Super Ben. Eon: My...have I wasted so much time on you for nothing...How unfortunate. A portal opens in Eon's place and is teleported away immediately. Anos drops his force field, only to have Eon open a portal in front of him and smack him a few feet away, just over the island's boundaries. He ends up smacking into an invisible spherical force field behind him. What's this...? Anos: What's what? He flies off of the force field, observing below him the nothingness that he'd landed on. What did I just crash into? Eon: Hmm...I'm not asking for you to help me here, but may you please shed a bit of light on this general area? Anos: On it. He transforms into Stinkfly. He begins squirting some acidic goo onto the spherical force field on all angles. Eventually, the two realize the sphere shape. Eon: Fascinating...Come here, Tennyson. Stinkfly: Why? Eon: I would like to try something. Don't worry, it is not a trap. It involves the purpose of this cloaking field. Stinkfly: It's a cloaking field? I just thought it was, well, nothing. Eon: Just come here. Stinkfly shrugs then lands in front of Eon. Eon: Now revert to human. Stinkfly: Whoa, whoa, hey. How do I know you're not going to trick me or something? Eon: I promise you I will not. Why won't you trust little old me? Stinkfly: Because you've tried to kill me, like, thrice. Eon: That's nice. Now revert to human before I do it for you. Stinkfly: For a guy trying to just prove something and not kill me, that definitely doesn't sounds a bit menacing. Eon: Apologies. May you please revert to human...now. Stinkfly: Alright, alright, just messin' with ya. He reverts to human. Ben: Alright, what now? Eon: This. He grabs Ben's whole body and holds it over his head. Ben: H-hey, what are you doing?! Eon: You'll see! He rushes to the edge of the island he's stepping on and tosses Ben across to the sphere. Where Eon predicts Ben will land on the cloaking field, he blasts with his time ray, aging it to nonexistence. Ben manages to enter the field through the hole that is blasted open. Eon attempts to jump in after him, but the opening closes as the field regenerates. Eon attempts to melt through it once more, but as if it had adapted, its weakness to time rays had been removed. Within a moment, Upchuck comes flying out of the cloaking field onto the visible island. Tennyson, what was in there? Upchuck: Eon? What are you doing (looks around) wherever we are?! Eon: You're kidding me. Did you lose your memory while you were in there? Upchuck: I don't know what's going on here, but it's right about time I dealt with you. He grabs a large chunk of the edge of the island, eats it, and spits it right back out at Eon, just managing to push the time traveler back a few inches. Eon begins to laugh maniacally as a time portal opens up behind him. Oh, no you don't! He rushes after Eon as he enters the portal, pulling Eon out before it sucks him. Where do you think you're going, time boy? Eon: I'll have you know I am far older than a *boy*, Tennyson. Upchuck: I know that; it's a joke. He extends his tongue out, wraps it out at Eon and uncurls it. sending Eon a distance away. He then turns around and faces where Ragg Town was once visible, rubbing his chin. I remember now. Eon's Voice: Really? Let me fix that and break your memory! Upchuck stands absolutely still, squinting his eyes as he waits for Eon to come closer. When Eon comes close enough to Upchuck with a time beam in hand, Upchuck bends his legs. When Eon finally arrives, Upchuck transforms into Spidermonkey and leaps into the air then ends up on the other side of Eon's body. Eon nearly trips over the edge of the island they're standing on. Spidermonkey grabs Eon with webbing from his tail, then reels Eon back towards him. When the dizzy Eon arrives at him, Spidermonkey transforms into Ultimate Spidermonkey and webs up Eon's entire body. He then powerfully punches Eon into the face, knocking him on his back down onto the floor. Ultimate Spidermonkey: You seriously shouldn't mess with me, Eon. I'm a pro at this. Eon: Seven years isn't enough time to become a pro. You haven't even broken 100 transformations yet. You have a long way to go, Tennyson. Ultimate Spidermonkey: I haven't broken that yet? He reverts to human. We start with a view of Ben's feet. His build has become shaped like his grandfather Max's, albeit a bit taller and slightly more muscular. He wears purely white sneakers and pants. He wears a short-sleeve forest green shirt and black fingerless gloves. As we pan up to his head, we find a mainly brown beard on his face that spans from around his mouth to the side of his face and up to his hair. His beard and hair are showing signs of graying, with the whole lower part of the back of his head covered in white hair, and white hairs dotted along his facial hair. Older Ben: You must have the wrong Ben, then. Eon: You-you-you were just 17 a few minutes ago. Older Ben: I never really got the details of how I ended up here, but I'm gonna guess it was your fault, Eon. Now, what do you want with Ragg Town? Eon: Who said I was going after Ragg Town? Older Ben: I lived through this already. Now answer the question. Eon: I want the power of the Aemortalae, Tennyson. And what I want, I will get. Eon's body begins to glow through Ultimate Spidermonkey's webbing. Older Ben: Vitalus Clepo! Mana from Eon flows into the older Ben. Now every time you try and use your powers, I get all of your energy. And that's up until I stop this spell. Ben walks up to the area where Ragg Town should be. He squints, then reaches his arm out to a certain point in the air, where part of his arm disappears. He pulls his arm back, making it reappear. Yep, this it. I hope I'm doing well down there. Eon: Why don't you just go and help yourself? Older Ben: You'd like that, wouldn't you? I'm not allowed to go in there. Time paradoxes and things like that. I think I'm wandering around down there. transition to within Ragg Town, present day, inside the energy field that was apparently just in front of Older Ben. The town is abandoned, tumbleweed hopping down the street every now and then. Ben is walking down a path in the town, following directions from the Omnitrix's hourglass. He arrives at his destination and finds the broken down, wooden temporary housing building. The Omnitrix stops directing Ben at the door, dropping the tower into the Omnitrix. Ben: Guess this is where I'm supposed to be. You better not be leading me to Vilgax or something. I'm dealing with enough between that mummy guy and school. He opens the door to find himself in a narrow hallway. He walks down the path, looking through the doors on each wall as he goes. In each room are broken beds and cracked windows. He arrives at the room at the end of the hall, featuring no door, just a vacant doorway. He steps into the room, where a being that is pure white on one vertical half of his body and pitch black on the other half. The being is washing dishes in what appears to be a kitchen. Uhh, hello? The being stops washing the dishes and lifts his head. We can hear him drop the dish and break it in the sink. His head flips around, showing his half-white, half-black face. He begins to speak, only the white half's mouth moving. Being (Half-White voice, high-pitched male voice): Ben Tennyson. Being (Half-Black voice, severely low-pitched male voice): No duh. Being (Half-White): Ignore him. Being (Half-Black): He can ignore me, but you can't. The being floats over to Ben. Being (Half-White): Please...help us, Ben Tennyson. Being (Half-Black): Don't allow him to do this. He wants the power to himself. Being (Half-White): He is demented, Ben. He wants only to take over the universe with my people's power. Being (Half-Black): He's lying! Being (Half-White): Please, know that I speak the truth. Being (Half-Black): Lies! Being (Half-White): I represent purity. He represents darkness in its worst form. I once was a friend of his, but he wanted to kill me just for more power. Being (Half-Black): You should have given! That was your problem! It could have easily been fixed, too! Being (Half-White): You see, Ben Tennyson? Please...please fix us. Ben: But...what-what are you? What's the problem? Being (Half-White): The dark one is the former 'mayor' of this town, Stratigos. I am one who simply grew up in this town. My name is-- Stratigos (Black Side): Stupid whiny face? What a great name. Being (Half-White): Strat's always been a bit immature, but ever since he forced my hand, he's gotten worse and worse. My name is Cohors. Now, please, fix us! I can stand this no longer! Stratigos (Half-Black): Speak for yourself. Ben: But...what's the problem? Cohors (White Side): We are in one body, can you not tell? I want to be rid of him, to be a separate entity again. Ben: I don't know if I have any aliens that can do that. Cohors (White Side): Sure you do. He raises his hand over the Omnitrix. The Omnitrix's hourglass begins to malfunction, its symbol becoming static and the green turning white. After a moment, the being brings back his hand. The Omnitrix's symbol is fixed as Ben is transformed into Clockwork. You see? You have a Chronosapien! You can save us! Please! Save me! Stratigos (Half-Black): Don't do it! Coh's a liar, a dirty rotten liar. Clockwork smacks down onto his chest and transforms into Anos. He stares for a brief moment at the two-part being, then reverts to Clockwork. Clockwork: The white side is good, the black side is bad. That solves one case. But what about what you expect me to do with Clockwork? Cohors (White Side): Reverse time, bring us back to a time where we were not together. Clockwork: But-- Cohors (White Side): Please, do this for us. I can no longer stand this. Clockwork: But-- Stratigos (Black Side): You see? He doesn't want to do it. He knows you're lying. Cohors (White Side): He just said he knows who's on which side, Strat. Clockwork: But I do not know how to fix you two. Cohors (White Side): What? You are a Chronosapien yet you know not of how to control your natural abilities? Stratigos (Black Side): So *this* guy's your savior? I think you should start looking for someone else, Cohors. While you're at it, you should regain some of that respect I just lost for you. Clockwork: Stop your fighting. I didn't say I don't know how to use my powers. I mean, I don't know how to do what you're asking. You want me to rewind you guys. My powers only work to fast-forward. He blasts an area of the wall. When he stops, the wood that had been there is shown to have become a pile of ash. You see? Cohors (White Side): Oh, you are such a silly hero, Ben Tennyson. Try to reverse time. And target us as you do so. Clockwork: Are you sure I can do that? I've tried before, and nothing happened. Cohors (White Side): Please, try at the very least. Clockwork sighs. Clockwork: I'll try. Clockwork unleashes a powerful blue beam at the combined Cohors and Stratigos. After a few seconds, he lets go. He finds the bodies of Cohors and Stratigos separated. Haha, it worked! Cohors, you were right! Cohors and Stratigos begin to analyze their bodies. They then look at each other and point to each other as they simultaneously yell. Cohors and Stratigos (in unison): YOU! Cohors: What have you done? Where are we? Stratigos: How should I know? I entered this building and appeared in here. Cohors: You're ly--'He sees Clockwork at his left.' Who are you? Did you bring us here? Clockwork: You're the one who called me here. Cohors: Acmen? What's happened to you? Clockwork: What? My name is Ben Tennyson. Cohors: I haven't a clue of who you are. He blasts Clockwork out of the room then looks to Stratigos. Now, Strat, I can see that power written all over you. Release it back into the orb. Stratigos: You are not in the place to tell me what to do. Now tell me where I can find more. Cohors: That energy is one of a kind, found at the core of my homeworld before it was forced to implode. We return to Clockwork's position, now outside of the housing building after being blasted out. He rubs his head as he gets up on his feet. Clockwork: I help that guy I don't even know, and this is the thanks I get. Thanks for leading me to nothing, Omnitrix. He puts his hand over his Omnitrix, just about to revert to human, but stops himself as he sees a bright white light at the corner of his eye. He flips around and sees the glimmer coming from the housing building's kitchen. Oh, no, that thing's going to blow. He begins to run from the area, noticing behind his back that the ball of white light beginning at the kitchen is garnering size at immense speeds. Clockwork stops running. I'm not going to outrun it like this! He smacks down on his chest, as the white explosion is unleashed. transition to outside of the bubble, looking at the older Ben once more. We notice that Ragg Town has become visible again, broken up at it had just appeared. Jetray is attempting to out-fly the bright explosion but he doesn't make it. The explosion is unleashed, tearing up Ragg Town further and reducing the town to its home in a bubble again. Jetray is launched outside of the bubble by the explosion. The older Ben pulls out an ID Mask and puts it over his face, disguising himself as Max as Jetray crashes down on the island older Ben and Eon are standing on. Jetray gets up onto his feet and rubs his head. He turns around and sees older Ben/Max. Jetray: Grandpa? What are you doing here? How did you get here? Max (Older Ben): I was dropped off. Err, your Omnitrix sent off a distress signal. You shouldn't be near here. It's a dangerous place, Ragg Town. It's a part of the Bermuda Triangle. Jetray: I was following Eon, Grandpa. Max (Older Ben): I know. That last bit was more geared toward Eon, who should know better than to come to a place like this. Jetray: Bad guys will do stupid things, Grandpa. Max (Older Ben): In some cases. The "bad guys" like the Commander aren't like that, though. Jetray: Well, yeah, they're the supervillains, though. We're out to really stop them. Bad guys like Eon are the annoying ones who do stupid things. Max (Older Ben): Sure, Ben. Are you going to bring Eon back to headquarters? Jetray: Sure. You want a ride, too? Max (Older Ben): No, no. I have a way of getting back home. Just pay attention on the flight back. Jetray: Alright, Grandpa. See you back at base. He flies over to Eon, where just before picking up the villain, older Ben/Max stops him. Yeah, Grandpa? Max (Older Ben): I need to say a little something to him. Jetray: Haha, silent smack talk? Be my guest, Grandpa. Older Ben/Max walks up to Eon and bends over him to whisper something to him. Max (Older Ben, whispering): If you say a word about my secret on your way to or while being processed at base, I will come back and beat you with Atomhammer. Eon: Who? Max (Older Ben, whispering): I thought you knew about all my aliens. How could you not know him? He stands back up straight. To Ben. Go ahead, Ben. Jetray nods. He picks up Eon and flies off. On his way, older Ben/Max is able to hear something Jetray says. Jetray: Are you wrapped up in Spidermonkey webbing? Older Ben/Max chuckles then straightens his face. When Jetray is a safe distance away, he removes his ID Mask and transforms into Clockwork. He opens up a portal in front of him. Clockwork (Older Ben): I guess I finally got to take that trip to the past. Going back 37 years wasn't the plan, but it worked. You may not be listening, but thanks, Paradox. Clockwork steps into the portal, and it closes afterward. OF SHORT Characters *Ben Tennyson *Future Ben (54 year old) Villains *Eon *Cohors *Stratigos Aliens Used (by Ben) *Anos *Stinkfly *Upchuck *Clockwork *Jetray (by Future Ben) *Upchuck *Clockwork Category:Episodes Category:Shorts Category:BiA Exclusive Episodes Category:Ben 10: Alien Universe Chronology